


Forget All Your Worries

by chiasmus



Series: Best Friends AU [1]
Category: X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Children, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Best Friends, Childhood, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-07-18
Updated: 2011-09-20
Packaged: 2017-10-21 12:24:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/225147
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chiasmus/pseuds/chiasmus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Scenes from a simpler time. Erik, age 8, teaches Charles, age 7, how to ride a bicycle. Then, Erik introduces Charles to camping.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Part of an AU where Charles and Erik are childhood BFF, and eventually more. Modern time frame (meaning it takes place in the past twenty or so years).

The first time Erik tries to teach Charles how to ride a bicycle, it lasts about five minutes before Charles has scraped hands and knees and they stop. Not at Charles' request, but rather because Erik panics a little when he sees the blood, even though the same thing happened to him the first time. He makes Charles sit down while he runs inside to get his mother, but as soon as he knows she's coming he's back at Charles' side. Charles is biting his lip, but he isn't crying; Erik doesn't like seeing him hurt at all, though, especially when it's partially his fault.

Erik's mother comes with bandages and antiseptic. She assures them it's going to be okay, and while she cleans up the scrapes, Erik squeezes Charles' shoulder in apology and solidarity, because he knows it stings. Charles winces, but doesn't say anything until Erik's mother has finished bandaging him up. He thanks her, then smiles up at Erik, and it's only then that a tight knot of worry in Erik's chest seems to ease.

They go inside after that, and Erik even lets Charles pick out what movie they watch ( _The Brave Little Toaster_ ) without complaint.

–

Erik is worried that Charles' parents are going to be mad that he's sending Charles back to them damaged. He knows _he_ would be mad if anyone sent a damaged Charles to him, and he'd have to go beat up whoever was responsible for that. Nothing comes of it, though, and a few days later Charles is insisting that Erik continue to teach him. He's a little reluctant, but ultimately agrees when Charles begins to look sad about his denial.

The subsequent times go marginally better, in terms of progress. Erik's mother also dug out Erik's old knee pads and wrist guards for Charles to use, so there's that as well. There's still a lot of falling, but none of it results in injury, so even though Charles becomes obviously frustrated that he isn't mastering this bicycle thing _right away_ , Erik is more at ease. Nevertheless, Charles doesn't give up, and each time he faces it now his eyebrows knit closer together in that solemn, determined expression he gets when he encounters something problematic.

They practice every day Charles can make it over. By the end of the week he is doing markedly better, and can at least make it down to the end of the sidewalk and back. He's grinning wide, and Erik is too, but mostly because he's amused at how proud Charles seems to be at the accomplishment.

“The next thing I'll teach you is how to climb trees,” Erik promises, since there seem to be so many basic things that Charles doesn't know.

–

Charles' parents won't buy him a bicycle since they don't see a point to it when they have a driver to take him wherever he needs to go. Charles and Erik share when they go to the park on weekends with Erik's mother, taking turns, though Erik usually lets Charles ride more often, at least in the beginning, because of how pleased Charles seems to be with himself about the new skill. Eventually Charles feels guilty, and insists that they take turns equally, despite the fact that Erik really doesn't mind.

Erik does chores for his mother and for their neighbors to earn money. He doesn't really spend it that often, so he has some saved up. It takes him a few more weeks to have what he hopes is enough, but after he's counted what he has he finally goes to his mother.

“I'm going to buy Charles a bicycle,” he announces.

His mother gives him an amused smile and a ride to a shop to help him pick one out, and contributes a little so Erik can get Charles his own helmet, too. It's a little nicer than Erik's own, but not as nice as the things Charles can have for himself, from what Erik has seen. Erik knows that Charles won't sneak around behind his parents to get one for himself, though, so there's not much alternative.

Erik is so excited, he calls Charles at his house. He hates using the phone most of the time, especially since there's usually a lot of waiting involved before Charles can pick up the line.

“Erik?” Charles asks hopefully.

Erik has idly been trying to flatten out the spiraling phone cord – he can't quite keep from fidgeting – but he stops when he hears Charles. “Yeah. Can you come over for dinner? Or are your parents going to make you eat with them?”

“I think it's okay. When do you want me to come over?”

“Soon as you can.”

“I'll call you back if I can't make it.”

“Okay,” Erik says, and hangs up, belatedly thinking maybe he should have said goodbye.

Erik tries to not look out the window every five seconds to see if Charles has shown up yet, so his mother gives him the task of getting washed up and setting the table. He's in the middle of rearranging the spoons and the forks for the fifth time for no real reason when he hears a knock and hurries over to open the door.

“I have something for you,” Erik says, before Charles can even come inside. “It's in the garage.”

He remembers to close the door behind him as he drags Charles along with him. Charles is following quite willingly, but Erik is impatient and Charles has a tendency to ask questions when given the chance, and it's easier to just show him. He lifts the garage door and removes the blue tarp which he had used to cover the bicycle.

“I got you this.”

Erik looks over at Charles and hopes it's all right. For a moment Charles looks a little dazed, but then his face lights up and he throws his arms around Erik in a tight hug. For once, Erik doesn't mind. No one is allowed to hug Erik except for his mother, and he guesses now Charles, too. Charles has Erik's arms pinned against his sides, so it at least saves him from having to awkwardly return it.

“Thank you, Erik.”

Erik means to say “you're welcome”, but what he actually says is, “Now we don't have to share all the time.”

Charles looks at him, a little guiltily. “You didn't have to, or I could –”

Erik frowns, since he thinks Charles might suggest something stupid such as paying him back for it, like he does whenever Erik buys him ice cream. “It's a gift,” he says simply.

“But it isn't holiday yet, or my birthday.”

Erik shrugs. “There doesn't have to be a reason.”

Charles is back to beaming, so it's easy for Erik to stop frowning. “Really – _really_ – thank you,” Charles says.

“You're welcome,” Erik manages this time, grinning. There's no need to ask Charles if he likes his present, since he so very obviously does.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was an idea that entered my head, so I decided to make it a companion piece to the bicycle one, since there's no other advancement. Just carefree childhood days.

“Do you want to come camping with us?” Erik asks out of the blue. By ‘us’ Erik always means himself and his mother, no one else. “It’s the outside kind,” he adds, since sometimes they’ll do a different version in one of their houses.

This sufficiently distracts Charles from the model rocket ship he was putting together. “Of course!” he exclaims.

Erik stares at him, as though re-evaluating whether or not he should have invited him.

“I haven’t been before,” Charles is quick to explain. “So it’s a big deal.”

“It’s really not,” Erik insists.

This could go on for a long time if Charles allows it. Erik hates losing arguments even more than Charles does. On previous occasions they have gone back and forth so long each had forgotten some of his original point. Consequently, Charles is learning when to pick his battles. “Where will we go?” he asks, shifting topics.

“Normally we just go upstate,” Erik says. “By car. No planes or boats. Unless you want to go canoeing.”

“Yes,” Charles says, immensely pleased. “That’s something else I haven’t done.”

\--

“Should we practice?” Charles asks later.

“Practice what?”

“Tents. Fires. _Things_ ,” Charles says, vague because he isn’t exactly sure what _real_ camping entails.

Erik snorts. “Sure. I’ll show you how to put a tent together. And _things_ ,” he says, mocking, but without any venom in his tone so Charles doesn’t mind. “We’ll save the fire.”

Later, Charles and Erik end up scolded by Lydia, one of the maids, after they’ve pulled the sheets off of a couple of the guest beds to build the tents. They’ve got them outside and are looking for something adequate for the tent framework when she finds them and starts yelling something about Frette linens and grass stains and dirt. Charles doesn’t really understand the problem - they’re just bedclothes -- but he gives her one of his more winning smiles and promises they won’t do it again. This tends to work on people and this time is no exception, even if Erik is rolling his eyes at Charles and not helping.

\--

Charles likes watching the scenery pass. He and Erik occupy the backseat, though at some point Erik falls asleep and Charles stays quiet to not disturb him. Even without conversation, Charles feels much less alone than he does whenever he goes somewhere with his parents. The addition of Raven has been helping to an extent, but she’s still too young to go with them on the rare chance Charles has to make an appearance at some theoretically family-oriented event.

Upon reaching their destination, Charles shakes Erik to wake him up -- really, it barely requires a touch when Erik’s eyes snap open and he groggily pulls himself together. When they’re all out of the car, Charles gives Erik’s mother a hug, and then he gives one to Erik, too.

“What was that for?” Erik asks, wary but not annoyed.

“I don’t know,” Charles says, honestly, “I just wanted to.”

“That’s very sweet of you, Charles,” Erik’s mother says, smiling and giving him a pat on the head. Charles beams.

Erik, for his part, punches Charles’ upper arm -- more like a tap because it doesn’t hurt at all, but it’s Erik’s usual method of reciprocation lately. “Yeah, well. Help me carry stuff,” he says.

\--

They go canoeing and Erik teaches Charles how to build a proper fire. It leaves Charles with a greater feeling of accomplishment than what is perhaps proportional to the task - there are matches involved - and Erik just laughs at him, in a friendly way. Happiness makes Charles weightless, like out here with Erik there aren’t any limitations on what they could do.

Now that there’s the fire, Charles perfects his technique when it comes to marshmallows on a stick until they’re the right amount of crisp and gooey. Erik likes roasting his to a point where they’re barely edible, blackened as he lets the fire burn too long without doing anything to extinguish it. He ends up stealing from Charles when he wants one, which Charles doesn’t mind since he would have shared with him if Erik just asked (he doesn’t).

\--

There’s the false sense of freedom given to them when they go hiking through the woods. They stay within an agreed upon radius from Erik’s mother while she fishes. On their second to last day, this mostly involves Erik humoring Charles as he traipses through the trees, picking up pine cones along the way.

“You’re enjoying this more than I thought you would,” Erik says, pleased.

“Why didn’t you think I’d like it?” Charles asks.

Erik shrugs. “You could have found it boring.”

“We get to sleep outside. It’s _groovy_ ,” Charles says, using his current favorite word that he picked up from a song.

“It’s still a lot different from what you’ve said you’ve done with your parents,” Erik says, kicking at some leaves.

Charles makes a face. “Which is why I like it so much. Next time we go somewhere you’ll have to come along, so you can see how boring grown-ups like my parents are.”

“All right,” Erik says, trying - and failing - to suppress a grin. Then, abruptly, he adds, “Let’s race to that tree.”

Without giving Charles much option, Erik takes off, and Charles chases after him, though he isn’t quite sure what their finishing mark actually is. That’s never mattered in the past to either of them, since Charles tends to declare mental challenges to Erik out of the blue if the urge arises. This time, Erik’s winning, up until the point he trips over something - Charles isn’t sure what - and falls down hard, with a pained sound.

“Erik!” Charles calls out, alarmed, then yells louder as he runs over to Erik, “Mrs. Lehnsherr! Erik’s hurt!”

Erik grunts and sits up as Charles crouches beside him. He’s tentatively moving his wrist and winces when he does, but regardless he says to Charles, “Calm down. I’m fine. Stupid … whatever that was,” Erik says, eyes narrowing at the ground.

“You’re not fine. You made that weird face,” Charles says, a little helplessly.

“I didn’t -- watch,” Erik says, and stubborn as he is, he turns his hand and tries his best to keep his expression neutral, not quite succeeding.

“Stop doing that!” Charles says. Sometimes he doesn’t understand why Erik will do whatever it takes to prove his point or to hide anything resembling a weakness, especially the times it brings him pain.

Erik’s mother arrives quickly and kneels on the other side of Erik, obviously concerned as well. “I’m all right, Mama. Charles is overreacting.”

“I’m not,” Charles says.

Mrs. Lehnsherr frowns. “Erik, let me see,” she says gently.

Erik reluctantly complies and allows the examination for all potential injuries, glaring at Charles when he isn’t grimacing. Charles doesn’t care and instead holds Erik’s other hand, which is dirty but sound. “Nothing is broken, so that’s good,” Erik’s mother announces and Charles breathes easier. “But your wrist probably is sprained. Let’s go back to camp.”

Once back, Erik’s mother cleans him up and gives him a reusable cold pack to hold against his wrist, kissing it to make it better. She leaves to gather her fishing equipment and Charles sits near Erik to make sure he doesn’t try to do anything else stupid.

“Does it help?” Charles asks.

“What?”

“This,” Charles says and kisses Erik’s wrist, too.

“Oh,” Erik says.

“Well?” Charles asks expectantly.

“Not really,” Erik says, and when Charles starts to look disappointed he quickly adds, “That never does anything. But thanks.”

Erik smiles, a display of appreciation, and Charles has no option but to smile back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [This comment](http://archiveofourown.org/comments/358974) reminded me of the kiss it to make it better thing, only, um, I think I did it wrong.


End file.
